Is glass good or will we run out of sand?

Skylar

Last week I read an article, I can't find it again now, that was saying that the world is running out of sand.

Of course there is a lot of sand all over the world but if as I understand not the specific kind that is used to make glass.

So, the question is if we are making too much glass and running out of sand then is plastic actually better for storage containers, etc.?

It's harder to break and we keep on being told that it will basically last forever, but if we break and drop glass then it just gets thrown away and lots of places that have recycling systems say they don't take broken glass, etc. just glass bottles.

Or is there some other better option than glass or plastic that I am missing?

I thought that glass was the eco-friendly way to go but now I'm not so sure. It seems that it is never so easy to find the right eco choices!

Piri

Skylar Or is there some other better option than glass or plastic that I am missing?

Aluminium is 100% recycable like glass (if we are talking about packaging not the specific glass like windows and others), it is very energy efficient, durable, flexible for different shapes, is okay with contact with different materials, is transportation friendly. The problem is recycling, but in EU is getting better and better.

About the glass, well if we would recycle it and would not keep the massive unused amounts at home it is great because it can be recycled and recycled for all it's life.

Piri

Skylar lots of places that have recycling systems say they don't take broken glass, etc. just glass bottles.

Well this is quite unusual of course they might not take like deposit, but general recycling containers doesn't care about it anyway everything brakes, just needs to be clean, the exception is the specific glass. As well as waste sorting centers they usually have different containers for windows, glass bottles, jars, ect.

Piri

Skylar So, the question is if we are making too much glass and running out of sand then is plastic actually better for storage containers, etc.?

And finally answering this, I would still choose glass, ceramics, wood or aluminium, but not plastic 🏠🌎

John

Skylar as I understand not the specific kind that is used to make glass.

I might be wrong but I thought the concerns over a shortage of sand were much more about the kind of sand used to make concrete for the construction industry, not so much for glass making.

Žaklīna

Piri I would still choose glass, ceramics, wood or aluminium, but not plastic

It depends on what you are using for as well though, like for freezing food not all of those materials are ok.

I never tried putting wooden containers in the freezer, but I am just guessing.

Skylar

John Maybe you are right. I probably missed that bit 😉

Piri

Žaklīna well you are right, I tried with bamboo lids, according the instructions it was fine. I guess usually it is good to read before buying if it will fit all your needs.

I really like the glass ones that you can use in the freezer, fridge, oven and for storing. Just feels practical.

Aiga

The problem lies in the type of sand we are using. Desert sand is largely useless to us. The overwhelming bulk of the sand we harvest goes to make concrete, and for that purpose, desert sand grains are the wrong shape. Eroded by wind rather than water, they are too smooth and rounded to lock together to form stable concrete.

and

Demand for high-purity silica sands, which are used to make glass as well as high-tech products like solar panels and computer chips, is also soaring. America’s surging fracking industry also needs the extra-durable high-purity grains. The result: acres of farmlands and forests in rural Wisconsin, which happens to have a lot of those precious sands, are being torn up.

From an article I read at BBC website - https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191108-why-the-world-is-running-out-of-sand

Skylar

Aiga

Thanks for this!

Vilte

Glass can be recycled endlessly I think, and most plastics and similar materials can only be recycled a certain number of times. Maybe I've got that wrong though.

It is amazing to look at all of the glass in the world and then try to imagine how much sand that must equal that we have already taken from somewhere.

Skylar

I read another article about this, I am not obsessed with sand, I just keep accidentally finding them.

It's still a problem, not so much for the glass but for the type of sands used in solar panels and construction like mentioned earlier.

People are fighting and killing each other over sand, which seems insane.

Marin-94

Skylar People are fighting and killing each other over sand, which seems insane.

As well over soil and peat, it is crazy and scary. I hope that one day we will not not have fights or wars about clean water and air.

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